My BLOG about my journey into the invisible world of ultraviolet UV photography, simulated bee, butterfly and animal vision photography and the special lenses, filters and lighting needed to make it work - also in HD video + 3D stereo.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Today about a white clematis flower shot in UV using a Baader U (320-390nm) and a special Bee Vision filter, that allows to map UV as blue into an image so as to simulate what bees can see (UV, Blue, Green). Shot was done using a Cerco 94mm quartz fluorite lens.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Visual light shot (VIS):

Ultraviolet light (Baader U filter, 320-390nm):

Simulated Bee Vision (special filter, UV->Blue, Green, Red):

Triptych of those images above:

Note the dark center in the ultraviolet shot which is pertained also in the simulated bee (insect) vision shot.

Today about a Bidens ferulifolia spring flower shot in UV using a Baader U (320-390nm) and a special Bee Vision filter, that allows to map UV as blue into an image so as to simulate what bees can see (UV, Blue, Green). Shot was done using a Cerco 94mm quartz fluorite lens.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Visual light shot (VIS):

Ultraviolet light (Baader U filter, 320-390nm):

Simulated Bee Vision (special filter, UV->Blue, Green, Red):

Triptych of those images above:

Note the dark center UV pattern which is also pertained in the bee vision shot and the UV bright outer petal part, which together create a very attractive nectar guiding "landing platform" for bees / insects.

Quite interesting what this all yellow (for us) flower looks like compared to what it does for a bee or insect.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Today about a Caltha palustris (Buttercup, Marsh Marigold) spring flower shot in deep UV using a Baader U (320-390nm) and a special 300-350nm filter. Shot was done using a Cerco 94mm quartz fluorite lens.

Today about a Bidens ferulifolia flower shot in deep UV using a Baader U (320-390nm) and a special 300-350nm filter. shot was done using a Cerco 94mm quartz fluorite lens. I have previously shot the same type Bidens here using my standard Baader U filter.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Today about a white Clematis flower shot in deep UV using a special 300-350nm filter. shot was done using a Cerco 94mm quartz fluorite lens. I have previously shot the same Clematis here using my standard Baader U filter.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Well, just some ideas that came into my mind quite a while ago, when I was thinking about the chain:
Light Source -> Flower -> Filter -> Lens ->Sensor

To simplify things, let's assume

a) the light source being sunlight or Xenon light, as they are quite similar in the interesting UV region 300-400nm.
b) the lens being a quartz fluorite lens with flat transmittance in the interesting UV region 300-400nm

now lets add what that flower looks like after having passed the filter (pink line)

and finally what that sensor records of that (cyan line)

btw. if a normal, but UV transmitting glass lens (Noflexar 35mm - yellowish line) is used between filter and sensor, then the result looks like that:

The simple laymans terms summary: This is what the flowers reflects (green line) and what the camera records of it (cyan line) through a Baader U filter and Noflexar 35mm lens:

The bad news is, that it will only be a bit better if a quartz fluorite lens is being used, but not substantially.

So in the first case the 320-390nm Baader U filter appears like a 372BP15 bandpass filter and in the second, better example, like a 365BP16 bandpass filter. This has nothing to do with the type or quality of the Baader U filter, but is caused only by the process chain it is used within!

***THESE ARE VERY SIMPLIFIED SIMULATIONS BARE SCIENTIFIC ACCURRACY, SO NO DECISION, JUST INSIGHT SHOULD BE BASED ON THAT***

Saturday, April 7, 2012

I have previously shown here, how the world looks like at 300-350nm. Now more how a flower (Phalaenopsis in that case) looks like at 300-350nm in reflected UV photography in comparison to using a Baader U filter (320-390nm) and in normal visible light.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Visible light:

UV: Baader U filter:

UV: 330-370nm:

UV: 300-350nm:

In the last 300-350nm shot, the colors denote: yellowish green is 330-345nm, blue is <325nm.

These triptychs will show the differences side-a-side:

The shorter the waveband used gets, the more details the flowers reveals.

About Me

This is my blog about my film and photographic work in 3D, ultraviolet UV, infrared IR and fluorescence using special lenses and equipment. All text and images carry my copyright and I do not allow to link to or copy / download from my site or any parts thereof without my prior permission.
email me in case of questions or interest in my images (esp. for non-profit orgs) or if you need a complete camera + lens + filter + light set for UV photography:
postmaster AT macrolenses.de